Janice Thompson | Morning Edict
September 11, 2015
Dawn awakens and I attempt to do the same. With diet soda in hand and eyes still
crusted over from sleep, I drag up the stairs and cross over into hallowed
territory. In this sacred place I have witnessed miracles, waged wars and struggled
to maintain my sanity. I love this spot nearly as much as I despise it. A turn to
the left, my heart aiming to the right, and I sit to translate His daily symphony.
My ritual has become almost commonplace, and I fear I might one day forget the
awesome responsibility of this call – this blissful, gut-wrenching call.
The sublime dances alongside the mundane and I witness it all as my fingers prepare
to transcribe the notes on the page. These two worlds confuse and delight me. Oh,
the wonder of such a majestic composition! Oh, the fragility of a heart aching to
be used. How great, the ensuing battle between the two. I find myself forever torn
between wanting to do His will and wondering if I am capable of constructing even
one intelligent sentence. Can I lay down my insecurities and selfish desires long
enough to pencil the message the Lord places on my heart this morning? Will there
be a message worth conveying?
The instruments begin to warm up – a harsh contrast to my ears as each one pits
itself against the other. For a brief moment I’m baffled by the cacophony of
sounds, the sheer confusion of it all. Then, miraculously, all of the dissonance
fades into one clear, singular note and I am free to begin. My fingertips dance
across near-silent keys, a stark contrast to the plinking and plunking of
yesterday’s typewriter. Today’s message tiptoes out onto a bright white screen, and
I come alive as the oil begins to flow – blessed, holy oil that washes over me with
its invigorating power. The music is pouring now, and I am tuned in as never
before. I race. I sit idle. I sing in three keys at once. I hold back, suspended
in time. I press anxious keys. I wait in silence.
Sometimes, truth be told, I forget to wait. Some days I forge ahead, anxious to
meet the deadline, state my case and impress potential readers with carefully
crafted words. On those days, pride becomes my friend. We feed one another
tasteless foods and toast our victories with empty glasses. Then, just as quickly,
arrogance gives way to defeat. There are days when I search aimlessly for words,
unable to locate even one. On those days, hopelessness seeps in and the enemy of my
soul whispers the phrase I’ve grown to dread, “How can you offer up what you don’t
even possess?” Just as quickly, the voice of the Lord echoes loudly in my ears,
reminding me that I possess heaven and earth. Heaven, I can share with those on
earth. Heaven, I must share with those on earth.
I clamor for forgiveness and the Lord whispers words of solace. Hope kicks in and
I’m on my way once more. Faithful fingers begin to dance with joy and something
miraculous occurs. In that moment, as heaven and earth meet, self gives way to the
Spirit of God. I cease typing and He begins. Tiny black words tumble out onto a
barren white screen, then somehow plunge forward into paragraphs. Paragraphs gently
press their way into full pages. Pages majestically align themselves to compose
chapters, and chapters gloriously sing until they erupt into books. I don’t mind
playing the role of spectator as His stories take shape. In fact, I have grown
rather accustomed to it.
Tomorrow morning I will rise from my bed and wipe the sleep from my eyes. I will
once again face the challenge of the call of God on my life – to write, or not to
write? As I step foot onto that hallowed ground I call my workspace, I will empty
myself of all I desire and give myself over.
Again. GIVEAWAY
What is your morning ritual? Leave a comment below and be entered for a chance to
win a copy of EVERY BRIDE NEEDS A GROOM.
Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna. She got her start in
the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has
published over ninety books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write
cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s
books and more. She particularly enjoys writing light-hearted, comedic tales because
she enjoys making readers laugh. In addition, she enjoys public speaking and
mentoring young writers.
Janice formerly served as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was
named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She
was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year, with three
books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing
group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing.
Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the
Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. Her tagline, “Love,
Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters!” sums up her take on life.
She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of
writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord
at the center of it all.
Website | Facebook |
Pinterest |
Blog
Somewhere in a sea of tulle and taffeta, satin and crepe, Katie Fisher needs
to find a key ingredient of the perfect wedding--the groom.
Small-town girl Katie Fisher is busy planning her fairy-tale wedding. Sure, her
boyfriend hasn't managed to pop the question just yet, but that doesn't mean she
shouldn't enter a contest in Texas Bride magazine to win the dress of her dreams,
right? Anyway, she's sure he'll be getting down on one knee any time now. And a one-
of-a-kind designer dress doesn't just fall out of the sky right when you need it.
But when Katie's boyfriend takes a job in another town and breaks up with her--on
the very same day she wins her dream dress--her world is turned upside down. Dare
she go to Dallas to claim her prize? And will the hunky pro basketball player who
runs the beyond-swanky bridal shop--yeah, you read that right--discover her
humiliating secret if she does?
Comments
23 comments posted.
Re: Janice Thompson | Morning Edict
My morning schedule is more like a scene from Groundhog Day. lol After the bathroom ritual is complete, as well as the litter boxes, I head my way towards the kitchen, where my 2 kitties are waiting for their breakfast!! Depending on the time, they either get fed right away, or I hold off a bit. I usually wake up before my Husband, so there's suet and seed to go out for the birds, right before sunrise, and in the Summer, the Hummingbird feeder. A few minutes before my Husband is going to wake up, I start the coffee. By then, I've already been on the computer for a couple of hours, trying to play catch- up with my sites, as well as my 25,000 (no typo) pieces of mail. On the day I volunteer to teach my knit/crochet class, I have to turn things up a notch, and speed things up a bit, by getting off the computer early, but this is pretty much how my days go. My Husband and I are managers at the apartments where we live, and if a tenant has a problem, they come to see us, so that tends to change things completely!! So far, we've gotten through on a lot of Faith, and a little shoestring to tie it together. I'm looking forward to reading the book that's showing on your posting. The cover is stunning!! It's going on my TBR list when I'm through. Sorry for the long answer. (Peggy Roberson 9:10am September 11, 2015)
Coffee and breakfast then read. (Marissa Yip-Young 9:29am September 11, 2015)
Breakfast and play with my kitty's. Go on computer to look for work. Get dress put on some makeup. Go for a work before lunch. (Emily Stemp 10:37am September 11, 2015)
Tea and then a lovely walk in the foothills. (Sharon Berger 10:57am September 11, 2015)
My morning ritual-trying to figure out where I am, awakening, taking a shower, reaching for the coffee and breakfast, and then making plans for what my day will bring. (Edward Washington 11:29am September 11, 2015)
my mornings are filled with getting my girls up and ready for school. Breakfasts, lunches and out the door. Then it's a little me time and browsing the websites now that I am unemployed again. (Maria Smith 12:33pm September 11, 2015)
Mine is get up and ready... feed my fish, birds, & cats... then sit down to eat breakfast... (Colleen Conklin 1:05pm September 11, 2015)
Get up read the paper, so my husband can take it to work with him. Feed my three cats who all want something different. (Jeri Dickinson 5:23pm September 11, 2015)
Bathroom, coffee, wake my son, get dressed for the day, feed my puppy, kiss hubby bye and head out the door (Amanda Ray 5:42pm September 11, 2015)
Out of bed, into the bathroom for a pit stop and into my bathrobe, then out the front door with the dog...while he's performing his duties, I'm staring at the night sky....this morning blessed with an array of the neon pink, green Aurora, while saying my prayers, thanking God for another day and for all the kindnesses He has granted everyone, praying that I might be useful in some small way during the day. Then into the house, feeding the dog, making the coffee and reading the paper. Thank you for the intro to Janice. (Kathleen Bylsma 7:40pm September 11, 2015)
Kiss my husband, my cup of tea, check my emails and go on fresh fiction then get dressed...I'm retired so no work!! Then I clean and read and prepare dinner!!! (Bonnie Capuano 10:03am September 12, 2015)
Got to have that big cup of coffee and something to eat. Don't talk to me until afterwards .LOL (Joan Thrasher 10:39am September 12, 2015)
Up, bathroom, check sugsr and take shot, then breakfast and dress for the day. (Mary Hay 11:19am September 12, 2015)
breakfast and play with my kitty. go to work. (Emily Stemp 2:56pm September 12, 2015)
I wake my husband, get his lunch ready and him out the door. Then I prepare my three daughters' school lunches. I get myself ready for school. (I am an high school English teacher.) Then help my youngest daughter get ready. Usually answer a dozen questions asked by my two teenage daughters. I wake my son. Listen to him grumble. Load up the girls and head to school! (Amy Morgan 8:45pm September 12, 2015)
My morning ritual is getting up, brush my teeth, wash my face, feed the kitties, clean the litter box, and make coffee. If I wake up early enough, I would stop by a diner on my way to work and order breakfast to go. Hopefully, no one will ask me any questions until I have a couple sips of coffee. (Kai Wong 3:30am September 13, 2015)
Sleep in if I can except when my cats want food NOW (Jeri Dickinson 2:08pm September 13, 2015)
Read my paper and eat my banana. (Wilma Frana 4:40pm September 13, 2015)
My morning ritual...brush teeth, deodorant, go to kitchen turn on elec kettle feed cats breakfast, empty literbox. Wash hands, make coffee, turn on computer and check email....curse cable company for millionth time. drink coffee. Start day! (Kimberley Coover 6:34pm September 13, 2015)
watch tv go back to sleep. (Ann Unger 11:11pm September 13, 2015)
breakfast, play with and feed my cats. shower. work. (Emily Stemp 2:22pm September 14, 2015)
get up do laundry don't do breakfast (Jeri Dickinson 2:53pm September 14, 2015)
I stumble into the kitchen and get myself a cup of coffee and then I get my grand daughter up and ready for school. (Denise Austin 4:02pm September 14, 2015)
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|